How To Retain The Star Performer Of The Organization - Pls Suggest

Hi All,

I am stuck in a problem, and being a senior member, I know you will be able to help me get out of this. One of our best employees has resigned today in the morning. He is handling entire System Administration and has been an exceptional performer. We have also provided him with the best opportunities for his growth and development, and the salary offered to him is exactly what he deserves (this is just what we think... I don't know whether he feels the same or not, though he seems happy working here). In fact, he has just been appraised, and he has been given a 15% salary hike. He has been treated really well here and has been provided other benefits that other employees do not enjoy, like flexible timings and the authority to make decisions.

Now, I am disturbed to see his resignation and really want him to stay in our organization. I would like suggestions from all of you on how to proceed. I also want to mention that he did not used to follow the HR policies properly in the past, and I had a discussion with him regarding this which he didn't take positively. Since then, we are not on very good terms, making it very difficult for him to reveal his true reason for resigning to me if we have a personal discussion. However, he is a nice guy.

Can you please suggest how I should proceed and deal with this situation? He is one of the most favorite employees of our CEO, which has put extra pressure on me. Please reply as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance,
Anu

Hello friend,

You should forget about the earlier disagreement with him. You should talk to him to find out the reasons for his leaving and also inform him that the company would like to retain him. Please try to understand the expectations he has for staying back [withdraw his resignation]. During this interaction, you should spend more time listening to him rather than defending or explaining the present situation.

Based on his expectations, you may tell him that you would discuss these with the CEO and get back.

You may discuss his demands with the CEO, and if they are reasonable and will not affect the morale of other employees, you may consider giving him what he wants to the extent possible.

However, in your judgment, if you feel that he has already made up his mind to leave and there are issues which the organization cannot help with anyway, you should accept his resignation and relieve him.

Regarding his not following HR policies - in case you have had a dispute/debate that is an issue-based debate, and it should not affect your interaction. You are right when you enforce the HR policies.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Nishikant

Hi,

If I have understood your problem correctly, there are 3 basic points I would like to start with:

1. What makes that employee the best performer and favorite employee of the CEO.
2. How likely is it to find his replacement? How long will it take?
3. Even if you manage to retain him, can he assure you he will stay long term?

The majority of the time, employees leave because of the following reasons:

1. They don't get along well with their boss.
2. They get bored of doing the same thing for an extended period.
3. They want a pay raise.
4. They don't like the culture of the organization.
5. They find better opportunities elsewhere in terms of pay and profile.
6. They have conflicts with one or more persons in the organization.

Here, except for reasons 3 and 4, you need to investigate what led him to make this decision. Even if you had differences of opinion with him at some point, you should talk to him openly and find out the reason. He might not be enjoying a healthy relationship with his boss or could have a major conflict with a senior employee. One thing is certain: no one is indispensable, so please don't feel pressured by your CEO.

Regards,

Mehul Mehta